Though the club was important to the disco, its people were more important. These were the people who would spend hours getting ready to go out and then wait for hours just to try to get into the clubs. Disco fans would spend their weekend at the club, literally. Sometimes, the most a discover would be home would be if they changed and take a disco nap. These were the men and women who would dance the night away and then keep going. Without these people, disco would have never come into existence and this blog would not be here.
Of the two clubs listed above, Studio 54 would be the most famous. Studio 54 gets its name from the old CBS studio that use film where the club was. The studio was originally named Studio 52 but the name changed when the t.v. studio turned into a dance club. Studio 54 was once the most exclusive clubs in New York. For a D.J., playing Studio 54 was the equivalent of playing Carnegie Hall. Because live bands were a rarity to the club, it was an extreme honor to play for the crowds. Some of its frequent visitors were Elton John, Madonna, Andy Warhol, Liza Minnelli, and Michael Jackson. If you as famous as the people just listed, you were able to go to the "Upstairs". The official name was the Rubber Room because the room was covered in rubber mats. This was were the real party was. People went up there to drink, smoke, snort, and do other activities that were immoral. A couple of these famous people even produced works for the disco. Michael Jackson wrote the song "54th street" for the club. Warhol created a famous piece of art for the discotheque. The painting, called "The Man in the Moon with his Silver Spoon", rested in the club until it closed in 1986. The painting is now located in the Studio 54, Las Vegas. Studio 54 reopened in 1994 but closed in 1995 after the owners cleaned out all the money and disappeared. The Studio closed that year and sat empty for a couple of years until it was sold to become a theater. 54 lives on though in places like Las Vegas, Antwerp, and Prague were the club has franchised.too. But if you go to 254 West 54th Street, the party has stopped and is nothing but a distant memory.
The other famous club may not have been as famous as Studio 54 but it was the basis for the movie Saturday Night Fever. 2001 Odyssey, located in Manhattan, was a more "every man" disco. This disco was not as famous as Studio 54 across town but that was why it was chosen for the movie. Much of the disco had to be redone in order for the club to become ready for the movie. The lighted floor and disco ball were installed before production and the club kept them after filming as a tourist and and disco attraction. The owners even bought the car used in Fever as a memento and photo op. In 1977, Odyssey hosted the world premiere of Saturday Night Fever. Odyssey did however become just as famous as Studio 54. Movie lovers and new discoers flocked to the disco to become part of the new found disco craze. 2001 Odyssey changed its name in 1987 to Spectrum. The club remain Spectrum until it was demolished in 2005.
Discotheques are still alive in America but they have lost there identity. People no longer get dressed up to go to the club, the music has changed drastically, and all the pomp and celebration has gone. Across the sea in Europe, many clubs honor disco by keeping the spirit alive. These clubs may play new music but they hold themselves to a higher standard then their American counter parts. Americas discotheques will rise again one day but until then, we can only remember what the phrase "I'm go clubbing..." use to mean.
